Val-Dieu Grand Cru

Brewed by Brasserie de l’Abbaye du Val-Dieu
Style: Belgian Strong Ale
Aubel, Belgium

Beer pours mahogeny brown color with a big, but rather quickly dissipating tan colored head. Aroma is rather sweet, ala candy sugar, with some light raisin aroma and an earthy, yeastiness. Flavor is sweet and rich with some nice malt flavors, also alcohol heat is present, but not overbearing. I was looking for a bit more spicy, yeasty action in the flavor profile. Not a bad beer, just not one of the big style winners for my tastes.

Pours a hazy brown/red. Nice tart fruit, candi sugar, and a slight somkiness on the nose. Flavor is kinda smokey with a bready malt profile. Nice creamy finish, but the flavor left me wanting.

Brown colour, tan head, aroma of dough, yeatsy banana, clove, some other spices. Follow through to the flavour, add a hint of alcohol.

Caramelly brown in color with basic properties of cinnamon, dark juicy fruits, whiskey, and admirably distant alcohol. Not a stunner, but a winner.

Bottle from State Line. Pours hazy deep rubyish dark brown with 2-finger khaki head. Aroma of spicy nutmeggy malt, figs, toffee, cognac, port wine. Tastes roasty malty, with figs, sweet dark chocolate, nutmeg, prune, some funky yeasty notes. The palate is dense, smooth, amazingly complex, and I didn’t notice a lick of alcohol in this. Wonderful.

bottle at the beer bistro, labled as Winter Beer. Wow, this stuff is nice. very dark brown, HUGE tan head. aroma is Banana and dried berries and lots of yeast. sipped it and let it warm in my had, the alcohol is hidden nicely, but you can tell its there, nice and warm feeling follows. Amazing beer to just curl up with and enjoy on a cold night.

(750ml bottle) Small, creamy tan head atop dark brown body with red highlights. Aroma is moderately sweet, prune/raisin, caramel, candi sugar, some orange, fig. Taste is sweet, raisin, caramel, prune, some candi sugar, orange, alcohol. Finishes light metallic. Creamy full body that holds the alcohol well.

Cork escapes quickly as the cage was tossed. Dark brown liquid with a moderate light tan head that settles to a thin dense lid. Aromas of dark bread dough, with currants, light grapes, mild orange and a hint of spice. Smooth palate that seems to get somewhat sticky at times. Sweet fruity flavors abound. Stewed prunes, dates, figs, bananas, pears, apples, raisins and light citrus and spice. This really does have a wassail quality. Should have cracked this one on Christmas. Nice brew, perhaps not a grand cru, but enjoyable. Does not stay sweet in the mouth and actually dries out a bit in the finish and linger is rather "skinny" with a touch of vanilla left swirling about. This is way to drinkable for 10.5%.